Improvement in hay-racks



UNITED STATJESPATENT @union .D. N. WEBSTER, OF GENEVA,OHIO.

` Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 5S., 15S, datedSeptember 1S, 1366.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, D. N. WEBSTER, of Geneva, in the county of Ashtabulaand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHay-Racks, Ste.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fulland complete description of the construction and operation ot' the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making apart of thisspeciiication, in which Figure l is a side View ot' the rack. Fig. 2 isa bot-tom View ofthe same. Fig. 3 is an end view. Y

Like letter-sot` reference refer to like parts in the views. c

My rack consists of a light framework ot" wood, and is constructed inthefollowin g manner: A,Fig. l, represents one side of theframe, andconsists ot three or more narrow boards, B B B, the upper and lower onesbeing a litile wider than the middle one, for the purpose ot1 givingmore strength to the frame.` These boards are fastened to fourcross-pieces, C C (i), &c. The opposite side of the rack is constructedin the same way.

Fig. 3 is the end of the rack, and is made ofV two pieces ot' board, DD, the lower being much wider than the upper piece, for greater strengthand durability. Both ends of the rack are constructed alike, and areconnected to the sides of the rack by a loop, c a, Fig. 3, one at eachof the upper corners, the lower part being held in place by a catch, b.This.'

catch consists of a small iron rod, one end of which passes through thelower end 'of the cross-piece E, the point inward. It is then doubledback upon the cross-piece and kept in its place by a staple, whichprevents it from being pulled out, at the same time allows it to slidethrough it, iu order to catch into a notch or staple, 0, on the side ofthe rack. A spring, c', on the inside ot' the erosspiece E, forces thecatch into the notch. One of these catches is fixed to each end of thelower corners of the ends of the rack, and will be hereinafter referredto. The bottom of this rack consists of two sections, F F', Fig. 2.

Gr Gr G are four sills, to which the boards of the bottom are fastened.These sills are not one entire piece, reaching from side to side, butare each divided, one-half of the thickness to a certain length ot' eachbeing cut out, as

shown by the dotted lines c c, Fig. 3, so that i and projecting a littleover, are bands of iron c c, so that when the twoare together the endsof each pass under the bands, and are thereby held tirull y together orfrom falling downward. v

The two sections are prevented from pulling away sidewise, as follows:H, Fig. 2, is a bar reaching the length ofthe section F', and made toslide through the cross-sills (if G. To the side of each sill isAattached a lever, f. One arm of this lever is connected to the bar H,and the other terminates in a hook, which hook falls into a catch ornotch on the side of the sill of section F. By this arrangement lthe twosections are held together. The sides of the rack are connected to thebottom or bed by the loops h It h, &c.,Fig. 1, which allows the bottomof the rack to fall downward, for a purpose hereinafter shown.

The manner ot' using t-his rack is as follows 'Ihe rack, on being puttogether in the manner above described, is then placed upon a wagon andfilled with hay, straw, grain, or other Inaterial, which is then broughtto the place in which it is to be deposited. A sliding pulley is thenattached to the loops I I, Fig. l. The whole is then lit'ted from thewagon and swung over to the bay or stack, and when over the proper placethe bottom of the rack is sprung open by the curved lever fi, Fig. 2, bypulling it toward the side of the rack by the oord t. This lever beingconnected to the bar H, and levers f also to the bar, it will be seenthat pulling thelever i in the direction stated will cause the slidingbar H to move iu the direction of the dotted lines u, Fig.^2, at thesame time carrying the long arm ot the lever j' with it, and therebycausing the short arm to draw out from the notch in the side ofthesills, and when it is thus released the bottom or bed ot' the rack fallsdown in the direction indicated by the dotted lines m, Fig. 3, and thesides also to spread out, as shown by the dotted lilies m; the haytherefore falls through to the place required. Therack is agaiuputtogether by bringing the ends of the sills in place, as above described,and then lowered upon the mentioned, thereby holding them securely.

until released in the manner above described.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

l. The sliding bar H, spring` P, cross-sills G G', andthe levers f andz', in combination with the sections F F', as arranged in the manner andfor the purpose set forth.

2. The sides A, as hinged and arranged, in combination with the sectionsFF and ends D, for the purpose and in the manner herein described.

3. The ends of the rack D D, the catch b,

spring-e, and the loops a., as arranged, and in l combination With thesides A and sections F F', in the manner and for the purpose as substantially set forth.

DENNIS N. WEBSTER.v

Witnesses:

W. H. BURRIDGE, J. HOLMES.

